As history reveals, the first Corn King and Queen were crowned in 1930. The king was not a necessarily a 4H member though. Instead, it was the farmer who delivered the highest corn yield according to the Cooperative Extension Farm Service Advisor. The queen title has always gone to a 4Her however, the 4H member with the highest project record. By the early 1940’s, there were two Corn Kings, one a 4H member, both selected based on corn yields. Beginning in 1959, there was no adult king, only a 4H member according to records. By the 1990’s, scores were so close that the committee started an interview process using interview points as part of the contestants’ total score.
The 2023 Corn King and Queen along with the other candidates picked up cash prizes from Kiwanis and told the club a little more about themselves Thursday afternoon. Annsley Healy, a 7 year member of the Enfield Blue Ribbon 4 H club, 3rd generation 4H member, and 4th generation cattle farmer thanked all those who have helped her get to this point. As an exhibitor of livestock, Healy has become locally famous for her “game face” when showing. She was asked to explain.
“So basically when you show livestock and you’re in a showmanship class, it’s as much about how you are showing the animal as it is the animal itself. One of the main points is making eye contact and a lot of judges think the more intense the eye contact, the more you want to win. Therefore, it results in a lot of kids giving ‘death stares’ to a judge. It’s pretty funny if you’re at a bigger or national show and you see an 8 year old girl with a bow in her hair and she’s staring down a judge.”
Aidan Jordan is this year’s Corn King. He had this to say.
“I want to say thank you to the Kiwanis Club for continuing to sponsor the Corn King and Queen awards. It’s an honor to be recognized for our accomplishments by someone other than our parents and club leaders. I’m grateful for the many opportunities 4H has given me over the last six years from projects and service learning to workshops and conferences. I’ve enjoyed the benefits of being a 4Her. Thank you.”
Other 4Hers recognized Thursday include Katie Aldrich, Katelyn Allen, Katelyne Davis, Kinsey Allen, Eva Grogan, and Trinity McCormick.
